Have no energy to make a full meal when you get home? Here, we share with you three easy no-cook meals for when you’re in a pinch.
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Mediterranean Lamb Salad
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover cooked meat. Lamb can be replaced with cooked beef steaks or chicken.
serves 4
Prep 20 mins
■ 120g baby spinach and rocket salad leaves
■ 3 cooked lamb leg steaks, thickly sliced
■ 100g sliced hot salami, torn
■ 180g tub traditional bocconcini, drained, torn in half
■ ¹⁄³ cup semi-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
DRESSING
■ 2 tbsps olive oil
■ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
■ 1 tbsp honey
■ ½ cup dried figs (90g), sliced
1 To make dressing, whisk oil, vinegar and honey in a medium jug. Add figs. Stir until combined.
2 To serve, place salad leaves, lamb, salami and dressing in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Arrange on a serving platter. Top with bocconcini. Scatter over tomatoes.
Tuna and White Bean Greek Salad
Try adding shredded roast chicken meat to salad instead of tuna. Add dressing to salad just before serving.
serves 4
Prep 20 mins
■ 250g punnet baby Roma truss tomatoes, halved
■ 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
■ 1 medium green capsicum, cut into 1cm pieces
■ 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
■ 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
■ ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
■ 425g can tuna in oil, drained, flaked
■ 100g Greek feta, sliced
DRESSING
■ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
■ 2 tbsps lemon juice
■ 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
■ 1 tsp dried oregano
1 To make dressing, whisk all ingredients in a small jug until combined.
2 Combine tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, basil leaves, beans, olives and tuna in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad. Toss to combine.
3 Transfer salad to a serving platter. Top with feta. Garnish with extra basil leaves.
Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls
Prawns can be replaced with shredded roast chicken meat or drained, canned tuna. Rolls can be made up to one day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.
makes 12
Prep 30 mins
■ 50g vermicelli rice noodles
■ 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
■ 2 green spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally
■ ½ cup chopped fresh mint
■ ½ cup chopped fresh coriander, plus 12 extra leaves
■ 12 cooked peeled prawns
■ 1 large mango, peeled
■ 12 x 22cm round rice paper sheets
CHILLI LIME DIPPING SAUCE
■ ½ cup sweet chilli sauce
■ 2 tbsps lime juice
■ 2 tsps fish sauce
1 Place rice noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain well.
2 Place noodles in a bowl. Using kitchen scissors, cut noodles several times. Add the cucumber, onions, mint and chopped coriander. Toss to combine.
3 Cut the prawns in half lengthways. Remove cheeks from the mango. Cut mango into thin slices.
4 Working with one rice paper sheet at a time, submerge it in a shallow dish of warm water for about 15 to 30 seconds, or until it begins to soften. Carefully lift sheet from the water and place on a chopping board.
5 At one end, place two prawn halves, a few slices of mango and an extra coriander leaf. Top with about a ¹⁄³ cup of the noodle mixture. Fold sides inwards, then roll up tightly to enclose the filling.
6 To make chilli lime dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
7 Serve spring rolls with chilli lime dipping sauce.
